The disclosure relates generally to distribution of communications signals in a distributed antenna system (DAS), and more particularly to supporting analog remote antenna units (RAUs) in digital DASs using analog RAU digital adaptors.
Wireless customers are increasingly demanding digital data services, such as streaming video signals. Concurrently, some wireless customers use their wireless devices in areas that are poorly served by conventional cellular networks, such as inside certain buildings or areas where there is little cellular coverage. One response to the intersection of these two concerns has been the use of DASs. DASs can be particularly useful when deployed inside buildings or other indoor environments where client devices may not otherwise be able to effectively receive radio frequency (RF) signals from a source. DASs include RAUs configured to receive and transmit communications signals to client devices within the antenna range of the RAUs.
A typical DAS comprises head-end equipment (HEE) communicatively coupled to a plurality of RAUs. The HEE connects to a variety of wireless services, such as wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), long term evolution (LTE), and wireless local area network (WLAN) communications services. To distribute such wireless communications services in a DAS, the wireless communications services can be provided in the form of analog RF communications signals and/or digital communications signals to the HEE of the DAS.
The RAUs are typically chosen and deployed based a variety of factors, such as wireless communications services, RF spectrums, regulatory requirements, operating environments, and costs. The DASs may be configured to receive and distribute communications signals in either analog or digital forms. Analog communications signals may be directly modulated onto a carrier signal for transmissions over a communications medium. The DASs configured to directly provide analog communications signals to the RAUs are therefore known as analog DASs and the RAUs are known as analog RAUs. Digital communications signals, in contrast, are signals generated by sampling and digitizing an analog communications signal before modulating onto the carrier signal. The DASs configured to directly provide digital communications signals to the RAUs are therefore known as digital DASs and the RAUs are known as digital RAUs. Although digital RAUs can have advantages over analog RAUs, digital RAUs can be more expensive than analog RAUs due to the additional expense of digital signal processing components.
No admission is made that any reference cited herein constitutes prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of any cited documents.